aus, Chalcolepidius, Clialcopliora, Polj^pliylla, Cotalpa, Prionus, 

 Monohammus and the like, among the hundreds of fossil species. 

 Nor, in general, do we find evidence of much of the exaggerated 

 specialization which gives variety to the study of recent forms, 

 even from the more temperate climes. The natural and perhaps 

 too obvious conclusion would be that the Coleoptera of this period 

 were really much less specialized than those of today, and that 

 the modern species of remarkable appearance, which look so 

 out of place in our collections, are, in reality, late developments 

 and not survivals from a past age. An alternative argument 

 would be that the climate of Florissant during the period of shale 

 deposition was too rigorous to allow great diversity of develop- 

 ment in a group like the Coleoptera, which today responds so 

 readily, mth wonderful variety of form and structure, to a tropic 

 life. 



A discussion of the former thesis cannot profitably be held just 

 now. As to the latter, it must be said that the abundance and 

 variety of tree life, shown by plant remains, certainly indicates 

 a mild climate, though not a tropical one. It also points to a 

 moderate degree of humidity. Further, there is little in the 

 makeup of the Coleopterous fauna, aside from the general ten- 

 dency to inconspicuousness, to contradict the testimony of the 

 flora. In fact there are some features, such as the enormous 

 specific multiplication of the Curculionidae, the considerable 

 number of Bruchidae and Rhynehitidae, the presence of types 

 like Protapate and Chelonarium which, taken by themselves, 

 would seem to point definitely to warmth. The matter is compli- 

 cated by anomalous proportions in the representations of certain 

 groups or families which are difficult of reconciliation with exist- 

 ing conditions. 



One of these anomalies is vrell shown in the Scarabaeidae. At 

 present, we have living in North America a very good represen- 

 tation of truly coprophagous genera and species, (Laparosticti), 

 with a range as far north, at least, as the Great Lakes. As we 

 go up the mountain sides, or to the far North, most of them disap- 

 pear except the Aphodiini. But at Florissant, so far as our re- 

 cords show, were found no Canthon, Copris, Phanaeus, Onthoph- 

 agus nor Geotrupes, genera common today in temperate climes. 

 On the contrary, the Aphodiini were veiy plentiful, not in species 



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